Performance and Panel Discussion

Petra Kuppers (she/her) is a community performance artist, a disability culture activist, and a wheelchair dancer. For more than 30 years, she has fostered collaborative, connective community spaces where delicious body-mind-spirit movement and beauty of all kinds are explored and celebrated. She uses social somatics, performance, and speculative writing to engage audiences toward more socially just and enjoyable futures.  

Petra Kuppers brings a participatory performance of Crip/Mad Archive Dances followed by a panel on Dancing Abilities. Connie Vandarakis and other notable Dance alumni from Temple University and University of the Arts will join Petra for the conversation. 

The full event takes place at Conwell Dance Theater. There will be a lunch break between activities. It is recommended that attendees plan ahead or bring food from home, as lines can be very long on campus. 

This event is presented by the Department of Dance at the Boyer College of Music and Dance as part of its 50th Anniversary celebrations, in collaboration with the Access in Art and Design initiative at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture and the Recreational Therapy Program at the College of Public Health. This program is made possible through the Temple University General Activities Fund. 

This event will be held in-person only. 

Accessibility 

This event is wheelchair accessible. Please contact Laurie Benoit (laurie.benoit@temple.edu) for any accommodation requests or accessibility questions. 

Register Here (required)

Please note:
This experimental documentary shares instances of medical incarceration including insulin violence. It offers survivor testimonies of artful and agency-full reclamation.
The film is fully subtitled in English.
A full audio-description track is available on SoundCloud, at https://on.soundcloud.com/bv9pE
The documentary uses 'crip' and 'mad' as in-group signifiers, aware of stigma and histories.

Learn more about the Crip/Mad Archive Dances.

Caption: Petra Kuppers, a white queer disabled cis woman of size with yellow glasses, shaved head, pink lipstick and a black dotted top, smiles up to the sky, arms outstretched, embracing the world. Her mobility scooter’s handlebar is visible at the bottom of the image. She is in front of a multicolored wall: purple, pink, yellow and orange. Photo by Tamara Wade.